Water Archives

Greenpeace sent out their Sustainable Seafood Scorecard earlier this week, ranking grocery store chains.

I don't eat seafood, but I do know about the issues the underwater environment faces from poor operations, as well as supporting these operations.

But the findings for the best and worst of the chains were somewhat surprising to me. Of stores found in Chicago, Whole Foods, Target and Dominicks came in 3rd, 4th and 5th, respectively. Walmart even made the Top 10.

Trader Joe's, a Chicago fav, however ...

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 -- 7:07 p.m.

A reader requested more information about gray water treatment, as mentioned in an earlier post. Since I actually had no idea what it was, I did a little research ... and I discovered that it's a fascinating concept.

What is gray water? It's essentially wastewater that has been used in your home--showers, sinks, washers--but does not include "black" water from toilets and garbage disposals. 

And since this gray water we produce is relatively clean, it can easily be used for other purposes, most commonly in the yard.

There are a few different ways to divert gray water from your home to your garden, from collecting it in a bucket to installing a gray water treatment system. The water usually can't be stored for more than 24 hours, as the bacteria in it eventually turns it into black water.

Why bother with gray water treatment? Well, it's the best way to cut down on your water usage. Why use drinking water on your lawn? Money is also a factor considering how much water it generally takes to water a lawn, flower beds, etc. It's also much easier on treatment plants, which could mean lower costs there and possibly more effective treatment to the rest of the water coming through.

It's not necessarily easy though. It would be simple enough to redirect your washing machine's water pipe into a large container. And if you don't mind filling up a bucket to wash dishes in or wash your face every morning, that water could be dumped directly into the flowers. But in most cases, diverting pipes or a treatment system would have to be installed, which could be costly.

So, is it worth it? Quite possibly, if you're re-doing your pipes or building a new home. Otherwise, in my opinion, it might be easier to just take shorter showers and redirect your home's downspouts so rainwater flows directly into your garden.

If you want more information about gray water, check out this site. It's Australian, but it's the more easily understood site I could find. And check out the City of Chicago's Department of Water Management Web site for more ideas on how to conserve water and specifics on the city's water and sewage systems.

Have any other information about gray water treatment, or ideas on how to reuse/save water? Let me know!